The entire project will be below street level. There is on root ion for one section that would keep the creek covered but I doubt that option is the one that happens. That's a "in case they can't but the right of way" option.

The first public meeting for the Bexar County-driven, $175 million San Pedro Creek improvement is scheduled for 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 23 (Saturday) at Christopher Columbus Italian Society, 201 Piazza Italia. Inspired by the River Walk, the project revives the former creek — these days, it’s more of a ditch — into a multi-character linear urban park while removing roughly 42 acres from the flood zone along the stretch.

The project — county funded, but executed by the San Antonio River Authority — runs from the tunnel inlet behind Fox Tech High School south to the confluence of the West Side creeks next to Interstate 35.

Of the $175 million, county leaders have said, $125 million will be financed via certificates of obligation, a form of debt the county incurs. The $50 million difference will come from a combination of public and private rights-of-way donations (land along the creek’s banks seen as crucial to widening the tributary), and city and private sector contributions.

The projects design began in March, and is expected to take two years to complete, SARA projects and planner supervisor Rudy Farias said. Construction is expected for completion by the end of 2018.

More than 120 creative spirits and engaged citizens gathered Saturday morning to help design the $175 million redevelopment of San Pedro Creek through downtown San Antonio.

It was the first of many public workshops planned for the project, which will transform a long-ignored ditch (see video below) into a linear urban park while advancing flood mitigation, revitalizing ecology, and sparking cultural and economic development along its path.

Armed with coffee and refreshments, “energized” is a good description of the conversations participants were having. The din of the design process often caused citizens to lean across tables to better hear ideas, concerns, and questions – a good problem to have at a public planning meeting, especially on a Saturday at 9 a.m..

Think of the Mission and Museum Reaches of the San Antonio River, but shorter and quite narrow in some sections. The two-mile stretch of San Pedro Creek is often crowded by commercial buildings, flanked by parking lots, and hidden from pedestrian and vehicle view. Project leaders expect to draw commercial and housing investments to the area, similar to investments now being made on the Mission and Museum Reaches.

“Although this project is downtown, it’s more about connecting the community. Connecting our Westside and our Southside to our downtown and vice versa,” Scott said of San Pedro Creek’s role in the larger Westside Creeks Restoration Project. “The city has invested more than $10 million in linear creekway connections.”

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To tackle the complicated terrain of the project, the creek has been divided into six segments or “character areas.” Each area has unique features and urban landscape, so divvying up the design will help engineers and architects – HDR, Inc. and Muñoz & Company, respectively – incorporate assets and address challenges for each character area.

Each table at the meeting was assigned a character area. Citizens then moved to the table that most interested them. At the Canal Principal/Main Channel table, participants focused on how to restore the narrow, paved-over sections of the creek to a more natural state. One such section is flanked by hotels and residences with little to no access to the actual creek.

“We need to take this ditch and turn it into something for people,” said Tony Cantu of the San Antonio River Oversight Committee.

He and the other planners at the table emphasized the importance of creating a multi-modal pathway that restores the ecology of the area – a place for humans, water, and wildlife. Signage and pathways to and from the creek will be a crucial part of this section. But designers will have little to work with.

A section of San Pedro Creek as it exists today. Photo courtesy of SARA.

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“Maybe an elevated pathway, like High Line Park in New York?” proposed Nita Shaver. The table was excited about this idea.

Guarino was furiously taking down notes as the table occupants talked, laughed, and pointed out troublesome areas of the map. He was pleasantly surprised with the turnout and impressed with community feedback. His notes will be added to dozens more, notes on all the section maps will be analyzed – including the note about protecting turtles in the Canal Principal – and designers will come back in November to present the mashup of ideas to the public at another public workshop.

An artist’s rendering of what San Pedro Creek could become. For visualization purposes only, this is not a design. Photo courtesy of SARA.

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“The key will be making it an inviting, walkable place for people,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff as he watched the workshop. “There’s a lot of congestion along the River Walk around the bend. This may alleviate that.”

Much of the design stage is scheduled to be completed by February. Scott said the goal is to schedule construction over two years, with completion by San Antonio’s 300th anniversary in 2018.

Bexar County has committed $125 million so far, Scott said. The unfunded remainder likely will be filled by various public and private investments from area businesses and downtown development initiatives. The “right-of-way” costs and complications of acquiring or using surrounding properties downtown will be one of the main hurdles.

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“Private property rights are extremely important and we don’t want to assume anything at this point, so we’re going to continue to work with property owners,” she said, adding that SARA will seek property donations. “I think that many of them see that it could be financially beneficial – obviously the value of their land and the opportunities of their land could be enhanced (by the redevelopment) but also they’re concerned about parking and access – rightfully so. We need (business and property owners) at the table.”

The San Pedro project should benefit from the successful and well-received completion of the Museum and Mission Reaches of the San Antonio River. People now understand the benefits of bringing a moribund waterway back to life, both for aesthetic reasons and as an economic development initiative.

“We have a recent example of how public investment can spur economic development. It’s not a pipe dream or something that we don’t know about,” Scott said. “And if people appreciate their waterways more, they’re going to want to protect them. They’ll become more curious about storm water, trash, flora, fauna. It’s an opportunity to change the narrative about our creeks.”

Also, in terms of connecting the Riverwalk to San Pedro, Travis seems like a good street to bury between the two. Traffic isn't really too terrible between them and it's only a one-laned two way street.

Also, in terms of connecting the Riverwalk to San Pedro, Travis seems like a good street to bury between the two. Traffic isn't really too terrible between them and it's only a one-laned two way street.

Houston Street has nice, wide sidewalks and a lot of potential for retail development.

Bexar County Commissioners have approved nearly half of the designs for the $175 million San Pedro Creek project.

"(San Antonio) really grew up first around the creek before the river, so it has a great history," said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.

The transformation would take place along the creek from Fox Tech High School to Cesar Chavez. The plan calls for the construction of a new amphitheater, foot and bike paths, and other amenities for tourists and residents to take advantage of.

"You're going to see housing. You're going to see some retail, office space, and some hotels along the creek," Wolff said.

San Antonio city staff will recommend that the City Council vote in favor of donating city-owned property to the San Antonio River Authority, which is leading the design process, for the project. SARA is working with other downtown organizations and the public to further develop the project.

"This is an opportunity to infill, develop (and) create another place for all of San Antonians to enjoy and to see economic prosperity along this particular corridor in our downtown and even surrounding neighborhoods," said Centro San Antonio President and CEO Pat DiGiovanni. "This has the opportunity to really change the west end of our downtown and really be more of a locals gathering place and a revitalization area of our city."

Officials hope to have the first phase of the project complete by May 2018, just in time for the city's 300th birthday.